growing

growing up
A guide to
menstrual management
for school girls
at school

Annie Kanyemba
 Dedication
I dedicate this work to my late
mother Beauty Matemayi.

Author: Annie Kanyemba

Stories by: Girls of Zimbabwe
Translator: Annie Kanyemba
Photographs: Peter Morgan, Annie Kanyemba
Layout and design: Woema Web & Graphic Design

Acknowledgements
I wish to thank the Water Research Commission of South Africa, for their
support which has made this Zimbabwean project on menstrual
management for school girls possible. Particularly I wish to thank
Ditshego Magoro for her help in initiating and assisting with this project.

Many thanks also to Madeleine Fogde and the EcoSanRes project

of SEI, Sweden, who gave initial support to the Girl Child Program in
Zimbabwe. Special thanks also to Peter Morgan, for all the help and
encouragement he has given me. I also wish to thank Marni Sommer for
inspiring me to write this book for Zimbabwean school girls. Also many
thanks to Malaika Mushandu for her friendship and assistance. Thanks also
to Obedience Matubede for helping me with translations. Thanks also to
the various schools for their co-operation - for Chisungu Primary School,
Domboramwari Secondary School, Marirangwe Primary and Secondary
Schools, Nyamutumbu Primary School, Chikarudzo Secondary School.
All rights reserved: no part of this publication may be reproduced,
without the prior written permission
of the author and the Water Research Commission.

Water Research Commission, 2011

1
 A brief introduction
This booklet has been written to help school girls manage the critical
period when they enter adolescence between the ages of 10 and 14.
Adolescence is the time during which boys and girls grow from childhood
into adulthood and changes take place in their bodies. During this period,
known as puberty, menstruation starts in girls.

Menstruation
Menstruation is commonly called a period or MPs (menstrual period).
Menstruation is basically the monthly discharge of blood from the uterus
through the vagina of non pregnant girls and woman from puberty to
menopause (when menstruation stops in older women). The menstruation
or bleeding, usually lasts from about three to seven days. However, some
girls bleeding may last longer than seven days. The whole menstrual process
or cycle takes about 28 days from the first day of your MPs. In a few cases,
girls may have cycles that last for as many as 34 days or as few as 19 days.

2
 During the first two years after the first menstruation starts, the periods may
not occur every month (regularly). This is normal. Menstruation is entirely
A brief introduction
normal. All girls will experience menstruation and will have to learn how to
live with it for many years of their life. There are many ways to make it easier
to cope with.

Menstruation can
be uncomfortable,
painful and
embarrassing,
but there are many
ways of coping
with it.

Diagram of the
female
reproductive
system

3
When does it start?
In most cases, girls experience their first
menstruation between the ages of 9
to 15. However, there are times
whereby some start earlier than nine
years or later than 15 years. During the
menstrual period, there is a flow of
blood from the vagina and often
cramps or pain may be experienced as
well. Sanitary pads are used to absorb
the blood and stop soiling of cloths. Pills
like aspirin can also be used to help
reduce the pain.

What is Pre-Menstrual
Syndrome?

This is a mixture of emotional, physical

and mood disturbances that occur a few
days before the start of a girls period.
The most common mood related
symptoms are getting angry quickly,
crying, and feeling happy and sad at the
same time. The common physical
symptoms include fatigue, bloating,
pimples and appetite changes with
need for more food. Exercising and
eating a healthy diet may help reduce
the effects of these symptoms.

mood
disturbances
can occur
4
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5
 School girls tell their stories

1
STORY

When I was growing up, I used to hear a lot of stories about

menstruation from friends and relatives and so I had drawn
my own conclusion that periods were disgusting and I prayed
that mine should come after finishing high school. The day I
started menstruating was at the age of 14 and it was on a weekend. I was in
the garden when all of a sudden I felt as if I had wet my pants and I quickly
looked around to see if there was anyone watching me and then I clutched
my panties and blood stains came to my hand.

My first reaction after seeing the blood was frustration. I cried silently and
wished it wasnt happening to me. I told myself that it was way too early for
me since I was not prepared for my first period. I had no one at the house
except my mom, so I went to talk to her and asked her what that blood on my
panties meant. I pretended not to know anything about menstruation as she
was explaining it in detail to me. I disguised my knowledge of it because I
thought she would think that I was too naughty to know something like that.

6
 My mom gave me cotton and showed me how to
put it on my panties and then later taught me
how to use cloth in the event that there was
no money in the house to buy cotton. Then
Monday came and I went to school and sat in
class wearing the cotton but somehow it
went sideways and I stained my uniform. I did
not realize until I went to the chalk board to do
maths and my friend came to me and
whispered that she wanted to take me to the
bathroom urgently.

When we got there she gave me her own pads and taught me how to wear
them. It was so embarrassing even just listening to her advice. I felt so low
self-esteemed but later recovered. We got back to the class and my teacher
did not say anything, I guess she had seen what had
happened but I was very fortunate that most of my
class mates had not seen anything. Since then I
made it a point to be very cautious whenever I
am on my period to avoid staining my clothes
or uniform.

7
 2
The day I started menstruating I was at school. It was at
STORY break time and I had gone to the toilet when I noticed blood
on my pants. I was shocked and confused since I knew very
little about menstruation. I went back to the classroom and I
was embarrassed to ask anyone about it. Luckily it was not a
heavy flow so I sat down on one buttock to avoid staining my uniform. After
school I went home and washed my pant and wore another one without
anything attached to it. I did not know of any menstrual management
practices until today, and I have been menstruating for 2 years now.

My parents died when I was still young so I stay with my brother and I could
not tell my brother about what had happened to me. It was just embarrassing
for me. I am very fortunate that I do not have a heavy flow so every time when
I am on my period I do not miss school but I only wear my pants and sit on one
buttock. Sometimes I spoil and I get a pass to go home. Now that I have
learned these different practices I will adopt one that is easy for me so this
meeting has been really useful for me. I hope schools can form focus groups
to talk about these issues so that others like me who stay in a child headed
family can learn something that they can use when the time comes and I also
advise other girls that when they do not know anything about periods and it
has happened to them they should not be afraid to tell their female teachers
so that they can help them through their menstruation.

8
 3
My first menstruation started when I was home and I was
STORY very unhappy. I thought that maybe something in my
stomach had broken. I told my mother who is a dressmaker
and she told me that I was now worthy to be called a woman
and that I should not play with boys because I would get
pregnant. She then took some pieces of used cloth from her sewing machine
and folded one of them and told me to put it in my underpants and the cloths
she told me to keep them for further use when I change.

As I was moving around the yard that piece of cloth between my legs fell and
fortunately there was no one else around, I picked it up and went to my
mothers sewing area and picked four pieces of ribbon and tied them to each
end of the cloth, I then put back the cloth in my pants and tied the two right
ends to my right hip and the two left ends to my left hip. I never told my
mother about this but since this method has worked for me and I am very
comfortable with my period. I urge other girls to be more creative with the
given resources so that they do not miss school because of a period.

9
 4
I had my first period at school, I was so afraid and unhappy. I
STORY asked for a pass to go home. I come to school on a bicycle
but I had to walk home pushing my bicycle because I was
afraid I would hurt the bleeding area. When I got home my
aunt was not there, only my uncle, so I had no choice but to tell
him that I was bleeding.

He said nothing and went to his bedroom and came out with a lot of cloth and
told me that I should put them in my pants and wait for my aunt to come back.
It was my worst nightmare.I was so embarrassed. My aunt came back and
told me that I had grown from a child to an adult and that I should now act
responsible and be careful with boys and she taught me how to use the cloths
and that I was going to bleed every month until I become too old.

10
 5
I noticed my first period on my way home from school. I felt
STORY so embarrassed when I realised that I had been bleeding for
a long time and that I had messed my uniform. The worst
part is that I could not tell my mother because I did not know
what to say. I thought she would blame me for being
mischievous, so I decided not to tell her. I put on old cloths for two days not
washing them but soaking them in water and hiding them in the bathroom.

It was in September and very hot, so I began to feel sick. Thats when my
mother noticed the wet cloths and came to me and straight up asked me
when it started. I told her and thats when she told me to wash up and wear
clean clothes. She told me I was now a grown woman and should not play
with boys and that in that state I was required to stay clean. I could not tell any
of my friends of my condition as I felt I was the only one with the condition so
I isolated my self.

11
 Managing your Period

First of all:
Dont be afraid of having your period, it is completely natural and
normal and it means you are healthy.

Tell a parent/guardian. It would be better if you tell someone close to

you, so they can advise you on what to do or help you get through it. If
you are embarrassed to tell someone, just think, every girl has to go
through it.

TIP
Remember: if you start before any of your friends
then youre being a mature adult before them.

Once you start having your

periods, it is advisable

g i n g ro u ps with that you always keep your pad

Talki n or cloth with you even

te a c h e r helps if its not that time of

the the month just in case.

12
 Personal
Hygiene
When you are having your
periods, make sure you wash
your private parts with water at
least twice a day. This will reduce
the risk of bad body odour and
infections. Washing hands and
body helps. Keeping clothes
clean and well washed is
important.

Wash your
hands
regularly

Drink
plenty
of clean
water
13
 Controlling the blood flow

Commercial pads
A pad is a soft piece of material worn under the
panties to absorb the menstrual blood. These
pads have a thin layer of plastic inside to keep
the blood from going through the pad onto
the panties. They also have a sticky surface to
stick to the panties to keep it in place.

In Zimbabwe these pads cost a dollar for 10. A girl will need 1-3 pads a day for
about 3-7 days every month. Even at this cost most school girls in Zimbabwe
do not use commercial pads because they are
either too expensive to buy or they are not
available. This means that most girls in
Zimbabwe use locally made pads.

Locally made pads

These are made from a variety of old soft torn clothing which are folded up
into a series of reasonable layers which can absorb the menstrual blood. The
disadvantages are that they do not stick to the panties hence they can be
uncomfortable since they move about and can even fall out. They cause
bruises when a girl walks about and they are not 100 percent efficient in
keeping the blood from soiling clothes. Normally they are
rewashed and that could be tricky in
terms of hygiene because girls are
embarrassed to dry them
outside in the sun so they do
not dry properly.

14
 How to make a pad holder
This is a simple sanitary pad holder with elastic attachments which has been
designed to hold cloths and pads in place underneath the panties. The idea
was first seen by the author in Marirangwe, Zimbabwe. The two elastic
attachments are drawn up over the legs and held up by the hips. The pad
holder helps to keep the home made cloths or even normal sanitary pads in
place. This avoids the embarrassment of loosing the cloths when walking or
attending school.

Pad holder and pad holder

with folded cloth
The sanitary pad holder can be mass produced by a tailor at a cost of about
one dollar or less. The pad holder is made of cotton with elastic attachments.
It can be washed many times.

The pad holder can be made in several sizes to suit girls of different ages. It
also helps to avoid staining your clothes during your periods. You must wear
corset panties or panties big enough to accommodate a pad cloth and
cover up your buttocks. Put your unused cloths/pads folded in plastic bags
for further use.

15
 Wear comfortable clothing
Wear comfortable clothes like
skin tights inside your uniform
and always keep your jersey
around in case you stain your
uniform. When that happens, you
can just tie it around your waist.

If you have to change for sports in

school, wear red, black or brown
panties so that people will not
notice that you have your period.

TIP
keep your jersey
CLOSE
in case you stain
your uniform

TIP
Comfortable
cloths can
help

16
 Period pains and their management

If you suffer from period pains, you can lessen them by having a healthy diet,
exercising, or even putting a hot water bottle (or plastic bottle filled with hot
water) on your stomach area when you are resting.

Also taking a hot bath helps. Painkillers

(aspirin, ibrufen, paracetamol,
panados, etc) are also good in
reducing the pain. Some traditional
herbs are known also to alleviate
the pain, herbs like jeka checka
can help. Hot water bottles, pills,
herbs and exercise can help.

nty
Try to take ple
of exercise
-it helps!
Dont worry
these will als
o
help ease th
e
pain:

Pills Herbs Exercise

Hot water bottles

17
A hot water bottle can help the pain

Heat treatment can

help relax the muscles
and also the pain during
menstruation. Laying a hot
water bottle on your
tummy can help. Also bottles
filled with hot water will
work if you do not
have a water bottle.

18
 A good diet helps
A good healthy diet helps to make the time
during menstruation more comfortable and
manageable. Drink lots of water and eat plenty of
fruit and vegetables. You can also take in a lot of
potassium which is found in bananas.

Spinach helps to restore the blood

Some vegetables are particularly valuable.
Spinach is one. It is easy to grow and
contains lots of fibre. It cleanses the blood
and contains lots of iron. Iron is needed in
the formation of new blood. When blood is
lost in the periods, new blood must be made
in the body to replace it. That is why green
vegetables like spinach can help so much.

Spinach
good for
the blood!

19
 MOOD S a t t hey may k
now
y s o t h ur
u a re fe e ling mood ow to manage yo
are close
to if yo learn h
h o s e y o u f m a t u r ing is to
Inform t u. Part o
to d e a l with yo
how
moods. r
x c a n affect you
ela e s s
Learn to r eriod, st r hrough
o u t a b o ut your p P s , o t h e r girls go t
ot stress t your M
r n to re lax and n d o n t w orry abou
Lea cle. So
or your cy ou are no
t alone!
flow and/ r ie n c e , y
expe
the same

20
 Laughter
is the best
medicine

The world always looks brighter from behind a smile.

~Author Unknown

21
 Exercises
(deep breathing and stretching)
We breath all the time to keep us alive. Normally these are shallow breaths
unless we are exercising. But deep breathing, that is deliberately breathing
deeply can help us relax and feel better. To do this you have to concentrate on
breathing.

Go to a quiet place and make yourself comfortable in a chair and close your
eyes. Listen to the world outside. Then breath in deeply as far as you can so
your lungs are full. Then breath out all the way. Continue breathing deeply in
and out for a full minute. That is about 12 breaths. Then keep breathing
deeply but more slowly. Breath in and hold for ten seconds and then breath
out. Breathe in again and hold your lungs full for 10 seconds. And breathe out
again slowly. Repeat ten times. This should make you feel more relaxed and
comfortable. Each time you practice you will benefit more. Deep breathing
and drinking plenty of water will make you feel better, and more relaxed and
comfortable.

breathing
deeply
can help us
relax and
feel better.

22
 Stretching exercises
For the body to work at its best, the
Doing stretching muscles like to be stretched. When we
practice sports we stretch our muscles
every day helps and we feel better for it. This helps our
us feel better. bodies. Doing stretching every day
helps us feel better.

stretch
those
muscles!

23
 Building up your confidence
(self esteem)

What is self esteem?

This is the opinion you have about yourself. In other words, it is your
general assessment or judgment of your own worth.

1 Accept yourself for who you are

2 There is only one like you

3 Walk proud

4 Focus on your positive attributes and traits

5 Develop your weakness

6 Use your personal talents and skills to help you

socialise and interact with other people

To wish you
were someone
else is to waste
the person
you are.

24
 Keep a check on period times
Always keep track of how long you have had your period, when it starts and
when it ends and how heavy the flow is. You count 26 to 28 days after the first
day of your last period. So if your period started on June 1st you can expect it
again between June 26th and June 28th. If your period lasts for more than 10
days, visit your nearest clinic.

Always try
to know when
your period will
start! This will
help you to be
prepared.

Disposing or keeping the pads

During your period, always make sure you dispose of your sanitary materials
(cloths/ pads/tissues/cotton) in a pit latrine or (Blair VIP). If you are to reuse
the cloth and you are at school, carefully fold the cloth and put it in a plastic
bag before you put it in your school bag then when you get home wash it with
hot water and soap, make sure you dry it in the sunshine and iron it if you can.

25
 Its all normal:

If some girls become rude and stubborn

when they have their MPs.
If a girl gets her period when she is still
young, such as 9, 10 or 11. Or when she
is a bit older such as 16 to 18 years.
If sometimes a girl will get clots coming
out with her period.
If girls get pimples just before or during
their period.
If a girl get water-like or white discharge
right before or after her period.
If a girl gets stomach pains during her
period.
If girls do not get their period every
month.
If a girls period only last for 2days.
If you get your period for three days and
your friend gets hers for five days.
If you get breast pains when you are
growing up.
If you feel shy when you have your
period.

26
 About our organisation

I work for Aquamor, a small research and development

organisation based in Harare. Its role is mainly experimental,
trying new ideas in the field of low cost sanitation
and water supplies.

Contact details
Annie Kanyemba: kanyembaannie@yahoo.com
Peter Morgan: petlin04@yahoo.com

This booklet is also available in Shona and Ndebele

WIN-SA: Address: 491 18th Avenue, Rietfontein, Pretoria, Postal Address: Private Bag X03, Gezina, 0031
Tel: (012) 330 0340, Fax: (012) 331 2565, E-mail: info@win-sa.org.za, Website: www.win-sa.org.za